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September Sipping

It's official: Summer is over. And as the weather started to change, Team Daily Sip began the slow but steady process of switching from our summer sippers to more fall friendly bottles.

Amidst that change, we tried some outstanding wines; below is a list of our favorites we tasted throughout September. We hope you try one or more of these outstanding bottles as the leaves change and the air cools. AlyssaBarnett Vineyards Spring Mountain District Merlot, 2008 ($46). This is an expectedly intense mountain merlot with a hint of pomegranate on the nose and velvety tannins on the palate. Notes of black cherry, dark chocolate and black tea round out this beautiful red. I would say this is probably the best merlot I’ve enjoyed all year. Find the wine here or try the 2009 vintage here.

AndyChateau Brane-Cantenac, 2007 ($55). Not only does Chateau Brane-Cantenac have a great marathon team (of which I was a straggling member), the Second Growth winery makes a killer Bordeaux blend. For a wine this young, the tannins are relatively smooth. It is nicely balanced with notes of cloves, currant and a mild acidity, but the wine really comes alive when paired with food, as I witnessed with various meat dishes at Aziza in San Francisco. Find it here.

JonnyOne Hope Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010 ($18.99). This a smooth and very drinkable Cabernet. It has flavors of black cherry and is a great buy at $18.99. Even better, fifty percent of the profits from this wine are donated to charities in the fight against autism. You can buy the wine here.

KimAlonso del Yerro Ribero del Duero, 2008 ($25). This is a great, juicy Spanish tempranillo with a lot of character and complexity. It also offers great value for such a well-made wine. Find it here.

LetaA. Christmann Deidesheimer Paradiesgarten Riesling, 2009 ($29). I recently had the great pleasure of spending some time in beautiful Germany. I tasted many wines that were tremendous, but this bone-dry riesling from the Pfalz blew my mind. With a petrol nose and lemon pith palate, this racy white was complex, delicious and ready to drink. With low alcohol and high gulp-ability, it is easy to take down the entire bottle. In fact, the winemaker would insist that you do so. Try this gorgeous riesling with sushi or spicy thai food. Find the wine here.